McGeehan targets double figures this season

Mike Simmonds

Hatters midfielder Cameron McGeehan is confident he can hit double figures for the Hatters this season, if utilised as an attacking midfielder.

The 20-year-old notched his second of the campaign during Tuesday night’s Capital One Cup tie with Premier League Stoke City, timing his run to perfection as he converted Scott Griffiths’ magnificent cross at the back post.

“Will his long term future be as an attacking player? Of course it will, I think so.”

John Still

McGeehan has been deployed in a number of roles already this season, but admitted he prefers a position which encourages the positive nature of his game.

He said: “I like playing nearer to goal, I can get my shots off and score goals.

“I’ve said that I believe I will score 10-15 goals this season if I can play higher up, as there’s a real chance to do that.”

“We’ve got other players who can do that too, like Paddy McCourt, he’s a top player, but I like playing higher up.

“It’s up to the manager though, we’ve flicked around between formations, but I’d like to see the formation we used against Stoke being used.

“Whatever formation is put out though, we should always be giving our best as we’ve got the criteria of players to do well in this year.”

Speaking about where he sees the summer signing from Norwich fitting into his long-term plans, Town boss John Still agreed that an attacking role would suit him best.

With McGeehan looking something like the player who played against Luton for Cambridge last term during the tie against the Potters, he said: “We do believe that we need to play him in a slightly more advanced position, but it’s about getting everybody ready, it’s not getting one person ready.

“But Cam, when he gets in those advanced positions, can come up with goals and we’d like to think that we’ll find that way.

“Will his long term future be as an attacking player? Of course it will, I think so.”

However, Still also warned there were other elements that McGeehan needs to work on too as he continued: “Cam’s a very very good young player here that’s learning his trade and getting better.

“We’re trying to find the right mode for him. It’s important for, not just for him, but young players, that they learn all the tools to make him a better player.

“He’s got to have other tools than that too and if you start short-cutting the tools, they don’t become the article.

“In all the the players we have developed or helped develop, I make sure we try and give them the tools.

“He might be good at going forward, but sometimes you’ve got to do a bit going the other way. If you don’t reach that, there’s going to be a time where he’s going to trip over. It’s about him being a great player for this club, not just a good player.”

When asked he felt McGeehan could eventually have similarities with Chelsea and England legend Frank Lampard, Still added: “It’s funny because when he played at Yeovil, someone said he had a touch of the Frank Spencer! But it’s football.

“I know Frank Lampard from his West Ham days. A lot of people thought he wouldn’t make it, a lot of people thought he was in there because of his dad.

“But if you ask the people what he used to do in the afternoon’s, put his spikes on, get his running going, quicken himself up, do some defensive heading as he had to get back

“That made him the player he is. So it’s really important that you guide these players and give them the right stuff.”